THE TROOPS AT SAMOA

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2292, 28 October 1914, Page 6

THE TROOPS AT SAMOA

. LATEST MAIL BUDGET. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) ' Auckland, October 27.Letters from members of the garrison force in Samoa were delivered in Auckland to-day, having been dispatched from 'Apia via Pago Pago to Sydney, and forwarded by the steamer Riverina. Apparently no incideut has occurred to disturb tho monotony of garrison duty since tho visit of the German cruisers on September 14; Many of the letters contain a_ reference to the desire of the men to join, tho main Expeditionary Force, and report rumours of arrangements which havo been made to enable them to volunteor. AVriting on October 5, a member of tho force states that much interest was taken in the arrival of v the French steamer St. Francis, which reached Apia on September 29. Tho steamer was lying at Papeete when the town was bombarded, and sho rached the Samoan harbour with a list to port and a hole in her funnel, the result of somo of tho shells fired by the German cruisers. '■ A camp canteen has now been started, where it is possible to secure "soft'' drinks and tobacco at reasonable prices. The troops have heen supplied with white suits. The usual camp routine continues, revillo at 4.30 a.m., dressing by the light of the moon when there is one;' fall in at 5 a.m'. for drill till 6.30 a.m., varied now twice a week by a route march of five miles or so; breakfast at 7 a.m., and.then the usual camp duties, guards, pickets and patrol, wt-ih a bathing parade for those who can manage it; dinner at 12 p.m. is followed by moro bathing, washing of clothes, etc. Lately, leave to town has been granted from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., and the fellows drill from 4.30 p.m.' to 5.30 p.m. Leavo is granted from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., and later for those of specially good conduct. Tea is at 6 p.m., and lights out at 9 p.m. - Another member of tho Force-, writing under date October 6 from tho «ireless station, Samoa, states: —"Onco wo are installed in the new barracks I wont mind how long wo aro kept here. It is not very pleasant sleeping in tonts, as everything gets very damp at night, and we wake up to find ants, mosquitos, and all kinds of insects crawling over us. There has been plenty of rain lately, and it comes Uown in torrents. The camp at Apia was flooded out tho other night. Samoan stamps are now unobtainable. Somo of the sets of a faco value' of 11s. havo bfton sold for as much as £25. I ivish I had known of that sooner, as I might havo been able to make- somo moiicy. Somo of the boys saw a Gorman trying to cut off a native woman's hair, no they' got hold of him and "ave him a frenrl thrnshinir."

An officer writing on October 7 states that tho rainy qseason was in progress, but the officers were now in comfortable quarters, consisting of well ventilated, houses. A , project was afoot lo prin i a camp newspaper every ,veck to send to friends in New. Zealand.

PRISONERS OF WAR TO BE TREATED MORE STRICTLY. In the future prisoners of wnr in New Zealand aro to bo treated a little more strictly than they have been treated tip to the present. The Defence authorities have received particulars'of the instructions which apply to the treatment of war prisoners in otlior parts of tlie Empire, and- are going to put these regulations into force in New Zealand. For one thing, tlio prisoners will receive no more newspapers, for the British regulations consider it undesirable that they should 1 havo access to the daily prints during the continuance- of the war.